Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-09-07
PAsr ANp PpREsENr.-In Ri

PAST AND PPREsENT.-In Ri
ley's History of Annapolis, in Civ
ing the Retrospect of two centur-
les" it says -
Two hundred years after its settlement
found Annapolis with thirty-five hun
dred inhabitants, the seat of Naval nj
versify. the home Of College or large
usefulness. and still 1.-The ancient capital
-nloryi had departed, but the remnant of
its traditional intelligence remained. Its
bar contained the names of Tuck, Ran
dali. and Alexander, worthy survivors OF
men who had made its name illustrious,
and though the ball and banquet of for
mer gen rations had passed away, the
,opening social glories of the Naval Acad-
ery forshadowed the harvest of pleasures
that have proved unbounded sources of
endowment TO the young who participate
in. and the elders who periodically wit
ness these brilliant assemblages In the
Armory and Gymnasium.
The canoe of the Indian he'd disappear
ed before the pinnace OF the Puritan; the
pinnace had given place IL the schooner;
the schooner, in its turn, had been push
ed ash .e by the steamer; the trail of the
Indian had been lost in the roadway of
the coach, and the locomotive had made
the numbering stage the attenuated mon
ument of an out ridden generation.
Put the glory of her fair ones yet re-
manned. and the ancient city still main
tanned its wide renown for the beauty
and grace of its women.
The Chesapeake and its freely
given wealth of oysters lay almost
unrufIied 10y the tongs of the industrious
FISHERMAN, and the quiet of the streets of
1.-THE Ancient City," and the paucity of
its business and commerce were sadly
emblemaiic of place whose chief adorn-
ment was the general virtue of its inhab-
itants, untarnished by the chicanery of
trade and nnblessed by the fruits of in
dustry-
Since the retospect 1910 nearly
four decades have passed and while
the population has more than dou
bled and many fine buildings have
been erected-from mercantile
and commercial stand point the
city stands to-day very much as it
did in 1919. A few, very few en-
terprising houses have partaken of
the spirit of the age and have shown
a progress worthy of imitation, and
of the success achieved. But in
the main our people are the same
to-day as they have always been.
Certain manufacturing interests
could be developed here, that would
employ all of our spare capital and
idle people. Facilities are ample
all we want is push and that our
people should come together in a
broad commercial spirit doing
away with the village-like petty
jealousies) ana work together for
the good of our city and our whole
people. Frederick, Hagerstown,
Easton, Cumberland and other
younger cities have advanced to the
position of Commercial marts, An
napolis remains to day where it was
forty years ago except as regards
the natural increase of population.
Newspapers are almost the only in.
dication of local progress unless
perhaps we may include the fresh
oyster business. Progress generally
follows journalism but Annapolis
is an exception. We have five good
county papers here who all agree in
urging our people along, but they
do not seem to be a3le to wake the
people from their Rip Van Wrinkle
sleep